SARASOTA CHARITIES

'Great Food and a Great Cause'

That couldn’t have been said any better. Bob Slicker of the Swordfish Grill and Tiki Bar nailed it when talking about the upcoming Chef’s Cooking for Kids fundraising event to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast- Manatee County.

The event on June 7th from 6 to 9pm at IMG Golf and Country Club features music by The Billy Rice Band, delicious culinary samplings from 18 local Chefs and restaurants around Manatee and Sarasota County and great silent and live auction items. All proceeds will go to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast one-to-one mentoring programs.

Bob Slicker is one of the many restaurateurs you will get an opportunity to meet when attending the 9th Annual Chef’s Cooking for Kids fundraiser. Bob took the time to answer some questions about himself and why he supports Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast. Here is what he had to say:

Tell us your name and the restaurant you are associated with and what type of Cuisine is served.

My name is Bob Slicker and I am the GM at Swordfish Grill and Tiki Bar and The Flippin Mullet Sports Bar in Cortez. We specialize in seafood as we're located right on the water, but we have a large variety of dishes for any taste! We are proud to sponsor Big Brothers, Big Sisters Chefs Cooking For Kids for our 4th year in a row. We are very excited to be celebrating our 5th year in operation, and even more excited to be part of this event again!

Tell us why you are a part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast Chef’s Cooking for Kids event and how many years have you been involved with the event?

The past 3 years we have been a food sponsor and this year I get the honor of being the auctioneer for this event. Personally, I have been blessed to be successful in business and know that my success came not only from my hard work but from those around me that have helped. Helping the community is an important pillar in our company’s foundation so we love being able to bring two great things together - great food and a great cause.

Did you have or do you have a mentor that has helped you in life?

I believe mentorship is extremely important, because I’ve experienced it firsthand. Growing up my life was far from ideal. We grew up in a very small town and there was abuse and addiction surrounding me. The bright spot was always my older brother Mike. When I was 15 and he was 19 years old, my brother passed away. Mike was, and still is, my biggest inspiration. He taught me the joy of life and he taught me to surround myself with people I wanted to be like, not with those who provided an easy way out. Skip ahead 10 years of living in different cities across the country and hiking the Appalachian Trail, I kept searching for peace and new inspiration. I came across a guy who believed in me, who showed faith in me but even more importantly gave me the confidence to believe in myself. Having someone believe in and encourage you at such a formative time in your life not only shifts perspective but it can change your life.

There are many great kids (and grown ups!) out there that all they need is a little love and someone to believe in them. Just a hug, a pat on the back, some encouraging words can make such a huge difference. These are all things that don't cost anything but provide tremendous returns. I am proud to be a part of this event because that is what they do, they pair a child up with somebody that knows how to love, to care, to show interest.

Often, Big Brothers and Big Sisters come from a background like I did… They want to help make it different than they had it. These are the "easy" volunteers, the people who know the pain and know they want to help because they know how it feels. I would like to talk about the other kind of people who we need to get involved, the ones who have the time but have a fear of crossing into the unknown. Many people have never needed a Big Brother or Sister, so they might think that they will not be great at this, when little do you know you are the ones' whose life changes. They see they difference in a child’s/young adult’s life right away. This is not about providing "things" it is about providing love/guidance and once you open your heart you see the value.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. As an organization, it holds itself accountable for each child in its programs achieving: higher aspirations, greater confidence, improved relationships, educational achievement and avoidance of risky behaviors.

Come join us and help change the life of a child for the better, forever.